Serving Size : 72
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
12 ounces white chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add melted unsweetened chocolate, eggs, oil, juice, rum, peel and vanilla; stir to combine. Add baking chips and nuts; mix until dough is well blended. Quarter dough; shape into 4 logs, each about 2 1/2″ wide by 14″ long. Place 2 logs on each of 2 lightly oiled (10×15″) baking pans. Bake logs at 350 degrees just until firm to touch, about 20 min.
Cool logs slightly in pans; using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2″ wide slices. Place slices cut side down on pans; bake until crisp, about 15 min. more. Cool cookies. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt white chocolate and shortening over hot water, stirring until smooth (or heat in a nonmetal bowl in a micro oven on 100 percent power for 15 sec. at a time, stirring after each interval, until soft and smooth, about 1-1/2 min.total). Dip 1 end of each cookie about 1″ into white chocolate to coat. Lay cookies on wire racks until firm; chill to speed process. Serve, or wrap airtight to store up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage.